God's Got it all Figured Out

 This is the Gloucester Cathedral organ console. Usually people don't get to see it. You have to go through a secret (well maybe it isn't secret but it is usually locked) door and up some stairs through all the pipes to find it. But we happened to walk in right when they were finishing up a rehersal for a school concert. So I asked the man in charge if I could go see the console. He let me have a look at it. I bet my organ teacher would be jealous. Too bad I didn't get to actually play it. Maybe someday.

Beautiful pipes.

Cool story

Cool stained glass

Cool painting, cool people

 So there's this hill called Robinswood hill that Gloucester is built around and I have wanted to hike up it every day (thats a bit exaggerated) since I got here three months ago and we finally got the chance! It was only like a 15 minute hike. But it was still way good. Even England can have beautiful weather sometimes--to be honest its actually been a bit too hot for my taste. It was 31 celsius the other day (89ish farenheit). It doesn't sound hot, but when you are wearing a long sleeve shirt and tie and trousers all the time and biking around all day and nobody has air conditioning it is quite hot. I am getting a sweet watch tan, long sleeve shirt tan (just the hands), and a collar tan as well. My legs are going pale though. I guess my California tan can't last forever.

This is Gloucester

This is the bottom end of Gloucester that we rarely get to because it is far away by bike. It is highly likely that we will get another companionship of Elders in Gloucester next transfer though, so these areas won't remain untouched forever. If you look to where the land meets the sky round about the middle you may be able to make out some huge suspension bridges. Super cool. They go across the Severn river from England to Wales (at the part of Britain where England and Wales split apart and go down to their seperate points.)

The work here has been so so good. On Sunday I was able to confirm Jessica a member of the Church and bestow upon her the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was awesome. We also had a new investigator come to church as well, a lady named Jenny. She was taught by missionaries a few years ago, so we decided to stop by. She previously told the missionaries no more visits, but she now seems very open and ready to recieve the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a miracle. God is so good. We also had the opportunity to share the message of The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with an amazing Seventh-day Adventist couple. They are such good people (so are their three awesome sons) and would make absolutely amazing members of the Church. They are already so devoted to Jesus Christ, they have just have not yet had the opportunity to recieve the fulness of His Gospel. I hope and pray that they will open their hearts to it.

I have found, in the last week, that when I try my very best and my very hardest to do everything I can, it still isn't good enough. But when I start to be thankful for what God has already done for me in my life, constantly looking for and therefore seeing miracles, everything seems to work out just fine. I don't really know what a lot of these people need right now, but thankfully, I don't need to. God's got it all figured out. He is so good. I love Him, and will continue to serve Him the very best I can.

Love,

Elder Poulsen

Jamaicans Are Awesome

I have very little time, this will be quick. This is the baptism we had this week! It was awesome. This picture is Bishop Chambers, Elder Poulsen (yes Alex, that is the tie you gave me for Christmas), Jessica, Trevor ( the baptiser--he was just baptized himself a year ago and is now preparing for the Melchizedek Priesthood so it was a great experience for him as well). Yes, those are his dredlocks on top of his head. He's so cool. Anyways, it was awesome. Also,we met James Lowsley-Williams on a train this week. It was sweet. Look him up.

 Love, Elder Poulsen

(Mother's Note:  Appears to be a young cyclist with Olympic prospects)

I Thought I Was Going to Get a New Companion......

...and then somehow I ended up with two. Thats right, they put me in a trio. I guess there must just be an odd number of Elders in the mission this transfer. Anyway, I am now with Elder Baker from Colorado and Elder Lapi from Albania. Also, Elder Baker's name is Seth. Weird. So now I'm trying to get used to working with two new people at once. Its been working alright so far, everything just seems to take longer. But we have already had some absolutely amazing experiences together.

On Saturday was the baptism of Aleah, an investigator of the Sisters here in Gloucester. And she asked me to baptize her. So I did. But I don't have the pictures of that...or any of my new companions...yet. This coming weekend will be the baptism of Jessica, our investigator. So missionary life is going way good. I am so tired all the time though. This stuff is hard work. It can be stressful too. Yesterday morning I read Alma 58:10, where the people talk about how they prayed for God to strengthen them before going to battle. And then in the next verse they have the spirit manifest to them that God will help them, and they have peace brought to their souls. When I read that, the spirit brought peace to my soul, helping me know that it will be all right and that God is helping me.

Love,

Elder Poulsen

Sightseeing and The Work of The Lord

We went to Gloucester Cathedral again--pretty awesome.

1. Harry Potter Walked these halls

2. This is me learning that spell that makes feathers float (and sometimes troll clubs)

3. I feel like this looks pretty cool.

4. How do I get them to let me play this?

5. This is pretty cool also.

6. Look familiar?

7. Missionary wardrobe: Ties, Suit, suit, trousers, trousers, trousers, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt, white shirt and there's a blue hoodie over there in the corner. Don't worry, I don't proselyte in that.

8-9. Gadsfield Elm: This is me at the first LDS chapel in the world! That right, it wasn't in Salt Lake or anywhere else. It was here in England. Basically what happened was Wilford Woodruff baptized this whole congregation so they gave the church their chapel. I believe they later sold it so they had money to make the trek to Zion. He baptized an estimated 4800 British saints total. He talks about it in that book we have witth excerpts from Wilford Woodruff's journal. I just found out this last week how close it is to my area haha. Also it was members of my ward that saw it for sale a few decades ago, formed a trust to buy it (at the time the church didn't want to pay for it), paid for it to be restored and the broken parts rebuilt, and then deeded it back over to the church. Pretty awesome! Unfortunately I wasn't wearing proper missionary clothing because we were there doing a service project. So I don't look as cool as I could have. But then again it was really hot that day so I was glad to be in a t-shirt and shorts. I don't know how you guys are still alive there. You must be melting. Regardless, it was a really cool experience to be there.

Well all that sightseeing and stuff was grand and all, but it was nothing compared to doing the work of the Lord this week. That was what was truly amazing. We got to help David make a lot of progress in understanding the spirit and having faith. Our friend Jessica is making leaps and bounds toward baptism. She went to a relief society activity on Friday and absolutely loved it--she is so full of the spirit. She is also getting on really well with Jenny, who was baptized in April, which is really good for both of them. On Saturday we taught her the Word of Wisdom (after she spent 20 minutes telling us about how amazing the relief society activity was, how thankful she is to have God in her life more, etc). We basically just pulled out the Word of Wisdom pamphlets we have and read the first two pages together. Then we asked, "do you see yourself having any problems in following this?"

"No, not at all" she replied. I was sort of worried/confused for a second. In my mind I was thinking "wait a minute--I have seen you drink AND smoke." But she was totally serious. She said she will have not problem in never doing any of it ever again. She and Jenny (who we had at the lesson with us because she overcame a WoW problem herself) talked about how having the spirit of God in your life is so much more amazing and fulfilling than drinking alcohol, etc. Oh my goodness it was amazing. The miracles of the Lord are great. And when her mother gets back from being at her brother's funeral in Jamaica, she will see the amazing things the Lord can do in changing the hearts and desires of people, and her faith will grow that God can do the same for her. The work is so good. God is so Good. 

As to that missionary broadcast...I haven't gotten to see it yet but I will sometime. We did get an email from the president quoting the part about using facebook etc. Who would have thought that I would not use facebook before my mission, but then on my mission I would haha. They will be phasing it all in slowly, so we don't know when exactly we will begin all that fancy new stuff though--but since it will be phased in over the next year I'll be using it before the end of my mission. 

Jesus Loves You. So do I. 

Elder Poulsen.  

ps. we find out about transfers tonight. Scary!

Opposition

Pictures!!!

1. Probably the coolest rainbow I've ever seen. Actually, definitely. It wasn't there for long though. But still, you should appreciate that English weather can be beautiful.

2. This is so cool! It was sketched by an 18 year old girl named Bryonie who was baptized here in March, and her sister Aleah, who will probably be baptized this week painted it in (except she didn't finish the one sister yet, so she still looks like a ghost). Apparently that’s me on the left. Elder Chardon is top right and bottom right is Elder Dutton, who was here before me. The sisters are the sisters that have been serving here the last few months as well.

Last week was a week of opposition for a lot of it. We couldn't get a hold of one of our investigators at all, another one told us he wasn't interested anymore, and another one cancelled a really important lesson. It was one of those weeks where you have to remind yourself that "all things have been done in the wisdom of him that knoweth all things." (2 Nephi 2:24).

Then Saturday was amazing! We spent all day teaching people. It was funny because usually Saturdays are rough because people are out and about and not interested in being taught. We got to teach a man named Richard who we met a few weeks ago, the day he had come out of prison. He wants to change his life around, be completely abstinent from drugs, and live an honest life (he has over 100 burglaries on his record or something he told us). I realized that I walked away that this is really a big deal. We have the opportunity at this point to help this man completely change his life around.

We also got to have lesson with Jessica and she came to church on Sunday as well! She couldn't stop talking about how amazing and uplifting it was. And she totally wants to be baptized. Sorry, I mean baptised. I have to spell it properly since I'm in the UK. Did you know that they have different pamphlets for the UK than for the US? They talk about things like how your life should be "centered on Jesus Christ" and that you should wear "smart trousers" to church. Her mother Elieth is going to start coming to church as well. Missionary work is so awesome!

This is my last full week with Elder Chardon--then he'll probably be transferred and I'll be taking over the area. I'll probably get another companion who is more experienced than myself. But there is the slight possibility that I will be training a new missionary. In which case I would get a call from the President tonight...and then probably wet my pants. But if God thinks that training a new missionary is something I can do...then He better be prepared to help me out a lot haha. Although of course, He already does anyway. Because he is awesome.

Love,

Elder Poulsen

An Ordinary Week of Miracles

I don't have much time right now so this will be short.

PMG p. 10 says. "Some may not accept your message even when they have received a spiritual witness that it is true. You will be saddened because you love them and desire their salvation. You should not, however, become discouraged..." We have a couple investigators that fit in this category--we know they know the truth. But they won't get in the font! It is so frustrating. But I will continue to have faith. God is good.

We went to Seventh day Adventist church on...I'm sure you can guess which day. I was one of only very few white people there -haha. All Africans and Jamaicans. There was an intense sermon given by a very fiery preacher. It was interesting. A friend of ours (Jacob) played the piano for the service. He's super cool. He's my age too--I would probably be good friends with him if we grew up together.

Other than that it was just an ordinary week of seeing miracles, meeting awesome new people, and being able to testify to people every day that I know that God is amazing. I love it. Its so good. It builds me up so much. I was able to testify to one of our investigators on Saturday of the reality of the priesthood and our calling, and the spirit bore powerful witness to me of the truth of what I was saying. It was amazing!

Love

Elder Poulsen

Harry Potter and Life Parol

On Monday we checked out the Gloucester Cathedral. It was SWEET! I don't have any pictures because you have to pay to be allowed to take pictures. But I will go back again sometime before I leave Gloucester and I will get pics. They had a pipe organ there that looked sweet. Apparently they use it for midnight mass at Christmas time, but I'm never going to get to go to that. Bummer. Also, Gloucester Cathedral is where a lot of Harry Potter (the first two movies I believe) was filmed. So I got to see the corridors of Hogwarts, including the one where the blood writing was on the wall in the second one (don't worry, they didn't actually write on the wall of the cathedral), the classroom where Hermione figures out how to make a feather float, and the courtyard they use for some of the scenes. Pretty cool. The cathedral has tons of beautiful stained glass everywhere as well (including a small rendition of a baptismal font with oxen underneath it...interesting).

I still think its really cool that I am in England. And that everybody has really cool accents. I still have these moments where I think to myself, "I'm a missionary...this is so cool" or "whoa, I'm in England." I used to always visualize the United States when I was trying to figure out east and west in my head. The other day I realized that now I visualize the UK in my head instead.

I had an amazing experience on Friday. Well, that's nothing new. I have amazing experiences every day, and never enough time to write them all down. But I had an extra amazing experience on Friday. I was in Cheltenham for the day because there was a practice for a missionary choir fireside. My companion was singing in it. They didn't let me in because they gave the older missionaries priority. So I'll get to do it eventually. Anyway, while he was practicing I got to go out with a few other missionaries in Cheltenham. We visited a man named Kevin who is begining the process of reentering society. I say reentering society because he has been in prison for the last 18 years (he told me that he isn't allowed in Gloucester anymore because all of his armed robberies were here). But in the last few years, he has had "a mighty change of heart." A member of the Church visited the prison where he was to do some missionary work, and Kevin was very accepting to the message. He began to read the Book of Mormon and other scriptures. He was one of the nicest people I have ever met and the whole time that we were with him, he was talking about all of the good that he wants to do. He said he feels bad for all the time that he has lost. He is volunteering for a number of charities and has begun giving motivational speeches to help other people to overcome the same addictions that he had in the past. Unfortunately, he has seven life sentances of parol (normally people on parol can't be baptized, but he will be able to since its for life--its already been approved from up top). The world will never look at him as a clean man again. But I know that his Savior Jesus Christ does. Because he certainly is a changed man. Meeting him was an amazing example to me of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change lives. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to forgive us, and wants us to use his Atonement to change ourselves, to become the amazing people that He knows that we can become. Are we, each and every one of us, using the Atonement in our lives as much as Kevin is? We should be. Before we left, he offered a beautiful prayer. I shed a few tears, but wiped them up before the prayer was over.

Yesterday a man named Steve who we have talked to a few times before let us in because he had a few minutes to talk. He showed us his nice back garden and his chickens. I told him that at home we have not only chickens, but llamas as well! I was able to bear simple, but powerful testimony to him, a man who has never believed in God (though I think he has the desire to believe) that I know that God is there for me, loves me, and helps me in my life. What a great blessing for me to be able to have the opportunity to share that testimony.

Love,

Elder Poulsen